1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to lighting systems. Particularly, the invention relates to lighting systems for optimizing night visibility.
2. Description of Related Art
Night visibility is a well known concern of many individuals and is particularly a safety concern for night driving. As a result, artificial lighting such as street lights have been placed on roadways and in parking lots to improve night visibility for motorists. However, artificial lighting is not always sufficient for motorists and individuals so alternatives for improving night visibility have been established.
For example, one method for designing fixed roadway lighting promulgated by the American Standards Institute (ANSI) and Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) is termed “Small Target Visibility” and is a method for maximizing the visibility of small (7 inch square) targets on a roadway. However, with this method all objects are still not detectable because there is not enough contrast between the object and background.
There is a desire to optimize headlamp and fixed roadway lighting system interactions to improve visibility. Other systems include aesthetic “under vehicle” lighting as well as variably aimed headlamps wherein both provide some assistance in detecting roadway hazards. These existing lighting systems, while beneficial, use large amounts of power and hence are costly. There is a need for a lighting system that further improves visibility at night on roadways and other artificially lit areas while also being cost effective.